Post-Con Cleanup (Days 584 - 588)

My sewing room is always a complete mess for at least a week before a convention. Despite any and all planning, preparation, and scheduling, I always end up sewing the night before a convention, and it's just too much trouble to clean up every night the week before.



Of course, the day after any convention is nothing but sleep, eating, and general recuperating. After that, it's just general laziness that stops me from cleaning up. However, I managed to at least pick up most things off of the floor of my sewing room and get my cosplay back onto the dress form and ironing board.



Having a clean sewing room after a convention feels just as rewarding as completing a costume (I think I mentioned this before). It's just so hard to make myself clean, haha. Hopefully I'll have it cleaned before the next cosplay event I'm going to.

READ MORE - Post-Con Cleanup (Days 584 - 588)

Haruhi Suzumiya - The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Cosplay

More cosplay. This time as Haruhi Suzumiya at KodachiKun 08 in Lund, Sweden.

READ MORE - Haruhi Suzumiya - The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya - Cosplay

Kin-Yoobi Con 2011 Cosplay Report (Days 576 - 583)

(Read my full convention writeup here.)



I wore a cosplay of time-skip Yoko from Tengan Toppa Gurren Lagann to Kin-Yoobi Con. While the cosplay is not 100% finished, I was quite happy with it. I was initially worried that security would tell me that it was too revealing and ask me to change, so I did have a backup, but luckily there were no issues. I did doubt that they would ask, since I was properly covered and taped in, but it didn't hurt to have a backup.



On Day 1, I woke up freezing cold and thinking "There's no was I'm going to wear a bikini today!" So I dressed in my backup cosplay, an alternate version of Yoko (from Episode 5) with a robe, which I made to come down to my knees. Under it, I wore a pair of comfortable black shorts and a black tank top. Once I got into the main hall of the convention, I immediately thought "Oh, I am most definitely wearing a bikini today." I couldn't believe how hot it was in there! My mom was coming by later to watch my Artists' Alley booth while my boyfriend and hosted a panel (the two friends that I had watching my booth wanted to see the panel), so I called my mom and asked her to bring the rest of my cosplay things.



I took off the robe while I was setting up my booth and changed immediately after the panel.



Throughout the first day, the red "zippers" on my boots kept coming apart (the Velcro holding them on was hot-glued on). Luckily I brought my hot glue gun with me, but by the end of the day, I was out of hot glue! The zipper on the left shoe came apart almost completely, from my ankle (exposing the black boot I used as a base) to just above my knee. I had no hot glue to fix it, but all I had left to do at that point was sit behind my booth and then pack up and leave. The sole of my shoe kept coming off too (and it got all scuffed up), but I just hot glued that back on a couple of times and picked up my feet more when I walked, and it stayed on.



That night, I sewed the Velcro to the boot, which helped immensely the next day.



I had a little bit of difficulty taping myself into my top both days. Since I was sick, I got really nauseous when I looked down, and the tape is ridiculously hard to put on. You have to stick it to your skin, then peel off the paper layer over it and attach it to your clothing. It was the second step that gave me trouble. I was really in a hurry on Day 1, changing in the bathroom with my friend in the stall with me to help, so I only got four pieces on (two on the bottom and one on each side). On Day 2, I got sick in the morning (early onset of Con Plague, I believe), so I slept in and then took my time getting ready, so I managed to get all 6 pieces on where I wanted them.



My belt first off wasn't accurate, I didn't have time to make the one that I wanted. Also, it didn't stay where I wanted it to. As I said, I intended to make an accurate belt, and I was waiting until then to put belt loops on the shorts to keep it where I wanted. However, without the accurate belt, I never attached the loops, so the belt that I had didn't stay where I wanted it. Ah well. The shorts also didn't entirely do what I wanted them to, but they made my butt look good, so I won't complain.



My jacket fit a little odd, but it was really hard to tell with all of that hair in the way. The iron-on details began peeling off at some point too, hopefully I can just iron those back on more carefully and they'll stay. If not, there's always hot glue! (I hate that this costume is so dependent on hot glue though.) The hidden pocket that I made for my cell phone was a little big, and my phone fell out of it several times, which I now blame for the phone's weak vibrating tone (it sounds sickly).



The wig was very heavy, I had to wear the ponytail over my shoulder the entire time, and the wig still slid backward all the time. I need more bobby pins, I think. I also recently read up on the best ways to secure a heavy wig, so I'm going to try those as well. Toward the end of Day 1, I actually ended up buying pain killers from a vending machine because the weight of the wig made my neck hurt so badly. I secured it better on Day 2, I still had to readjust it once, but I didn't end up with a head/neck-ache at least.



It was also a bit of a pain to keep constantly combing the wig out. I was advised to comb it with a wide-toothed comb every hour, which I tried to do, but by the end of Day 1, it was a mess. When I got home that night, I brushed it and was half-way finished when it fell off of the table and sent me back to Square One. Apparently my cursing and angrily throwing the comb down scared my friends a bit. I really need to get silicone spray, and I also now keep all of my long wigs in loose braids, because it's just too frustrating to have to comb them out constantly.



Around 4:30pm on Day 2, the rest of my TTGL group showed up for the cosplay contest. I think they all looked fantastic, and I'm so proud of what little work I did to help with the prop (appropriately named "Dead Kamina"). They took Best In Show in the cosplay contest, though I couldn't compete because I was Emcee. (I'd like to take a minute here to clarify that, yes, these are my good friends, and yes, I'm staff and Emcee of the cosplay contest, but I am not a judge, and I did not talk with any of the judges about contestants at any point of the day.) I wish that they could have been there for more time, or at least that I could have spent more time with them, but it was a very busy day.



At the end of the weekend, Yoko came out a little worse-for-wear, but I more or less know what needs to be done before the next time I wear it.

READ MORE - Kin-Yoobi Con 2011 Cosplay Report (Days 576 - 583)

Cosplay Comes Into Metro

I saw some girls cosplaying different characters in metro. I had to open my big mouth "wow".

READ MORE - Cosplay Comes Into Metro

As Good as it Gets (Days 562 - 566)

So Yoko definitely isn't 100% finished. She's maybe 95% finished, and I'm not happy with one of the boots at all, but she's wearable enough for Kin-Yoobi Con. No pics yet, you'll have to wait until post-con for that. You'll also have to wait until post-con for information about making the cosplay because I just can't be bothered to do a write-up right now.

Basically, I've been freaking out over everything; finishing my cosplay, finishing commissions, making hats, updating the panel, and finishing things for the actual convention. This will most likely be my last blog post before the convention. So here's a summary of the con and the stuff I'm doing at it.

Kin-Yoobi Con ~ Friday - Saturday, August 5th - 6th, 10am - 9pm
We're celebrating our fifth anniversary this year which means even more fun-filled fandom-based events and big name special guests."
I'll be staffing the convention, running several events including Anime Jeopardy and the Cosplay Contest as well as participating in the Anime Date Auction.

'Magikarp: A History' at Kin-Yoobi Con ~ Friday, 11am
"Hit 'em with a splash attack! Join us to learn everything that you never knew that you wanted to know about Magikarp. We'll give you an in-depth look at Magikarp's behavior, anime appearances, in-game capabilities, and more!"
My boyfriend and I are hosting this panel, we have hosted it twice before, once at Animation on Display, and once at Fanime. It is exactly what it sounds like: a panel about the Pokemon Magikarp.

Rose's Fleece Hats at Kin-Yoobi Con ~ All day, both days
Rose's Fleece Hats is the name I use to promote the fleece hats that I make and sell. I will have an Artist's Alley booth to sell these, necklaces, hair ribbons, bracelets, and earrings.

BAC at Kin-Yoobi Con ~ Friday, 2pm & Saturday, 3pm
Bay Area Conventions (BAC) is a group that has interest in conventions, photography, and cosplay. Meetups and gatherings are set up as social events. The group includes people from all over the San Fransisco Bay Area.

Ratgirl and Para~Somnia at Kin-Yoobi 2011! ~ All day, both days
My friend Tricia (Ratgirl) and a friend of hers will also have an Artist's Alley booth there!

Dai Gurren Dan at Kin-Yoobi Con ~ Saturday
My friend's Gurren Lagann group (including myself, of course) will be chillin' at Kin-Yoobi this Saturday as well. No link to the Facebook event itself because it's a private event, but we'll be there!

I do believe you can now understand exactly why I feel so swamped, haha. You'll hear from me after the convention~!

READ MORE - As Good as it Gets (Days 562 - 566)

Favorite Cosplay Photos From Comic-Con 2011

The Comic-Con 2011 was held last week. I found many amazing cosplay fans who said they spent the entire year to prepare their masterworks. Here are some my favorites.

READ MORE - Favorite Cosplay Photos From Comic-Con 2011

Some Thoughts (Days 553 - 561)

I haven't posted in a while, but I don't really feel like giving a full run-down of my progress right now, so here are some thoughts that have recently run through my head while working on something.

Sometimes when I'm working on something, I like to imagine writing a tutorial about it or explaining it to someone as I'm working. I find it helps me think clearer about what I'm doing.

There's nothing quite like the feeling of doing a massive cleaning of your sewing space after completely finishing a large or particularly difficult project.

When I finish working on something for the night, I find it satisfying to take all of the pins from the magnetic holder and put them back into the pin cushion. It makes the work feel completed.

READ MORE - Some Thoughts (Days 553 - 561)

Iron-On Vinyl Notes

I'm hoping that I'll come back and edit this to make it make more sense. Right now, it's just notes to help me get through the pricess of applying this stuff for the first time.

I bought my iron-on vinyl from Specialty-Graphics.com. I bought two different types, Sister EasyWeed Stretch and Siser EasyWeed Extra. "Stretch" is used to put on stretchy fabrics, mostly sports jerseys, and "Extra" is used for nylon, leather, and "other tough fabrics."

Instructrions from Specialty-Graphics.com:

Sister WasyWeed Stretch & Extra • All designs must be cut in reverse • Weed away excess material • Preheat garment on heat press for a few seconds to remove moisture and wrinkles • Position EasyWeed Stretch design on garment • Cover with a Teflon sheet to prevent scorching Stretch • Peel HOT or COLD • Heat apply at 305°F for 15 seconds, MEDIUM pressure Extra • Heat apply at 320 degrees F for 10 - 15 seconds, LIGHT pressure • Peel HOT

My Notes:

Sister WasyWeed Stretch & Extra • Can be cut with normal scissors. • Use pin tip to help peel the plastic off (especially when hot). Stretch • Can draw on the shiny side with permanent marker before ironing onto fabric (shiny part gets peeled off). • Difficult to cut shiny-side-up because light reflects, can't see the lines you drew to cut. • Iron on shiny-side up. • Wait until cool to stretch/pull/move. • Highest heat setting on my iron (LINEN/MAX). • Don't over-stretch (doesn't stretch as far as dance/bathing suit fabric). Extra • Some stretch, but causes warp. Can be fixed with ironing. • Crumple fabric while hot to create very light weathered effect.

READ MORE - Iron-On Vinyl Notes

Dai Gurren Dan (Day 552)

This is a little late, but a couple of days ago, the leader of the Gurren Lagann cosplay group that I'm in hosted a get-together at her house. The intent was to watch the Gurren Lagann movies and work on cosplay. However, we are the worst group of procrastinators, so very little got done.

I brought over a ton of my sewing stuff and worked on my Yoko shorts. I thought that they were almost finished, but then I realized that I altered the pattern wrong. The good news is that it was fixable, and I know exactly what I did wrong, so I know what not to do next time. Of course now, I've given up on making shorts entirely, they're always a nightmare.

The rest of the group started working on Kamina's cape. It's really simple, but it looks glorious.

Of course, we ended up not watching either of the movies. We started to watch one, but then we decided to wait for someone. Then we realized that there wasn't enough room for everyone to sit around the computer, and we couldn't watch it on the TV for whatever reason, I don't always understand technical talk. We're going to try again this week.

READ MORE - Dai Gurren Dan (Day 552)

Shorts (Days 548 - 554)

I'm trying ridiculously hard not to procrastinate on my Yoko cosplay, because I'm with a group, and I don't want to let anyone down. Also, I have to plan for the convention itself still. It's a little stressful, to be honest, which I think makes me work on things less, but I am getting things done on both fronts.

A friend hosted a meet at her house where I got some stuff done. Then I finished my shorts at home. I really hate those things. They look alright, but they were so hard to make, and I still don't think they're perfect, so I hate them. I still need to get the right belt, which at this rate, I'm not going to find.

I also made as much of the bikini as I could with the materials that I have, which wasn't much. I cut out the main breast pieces and cut and sewed the top strings (the ones that go behind the neck). I didn't cut and sew the bottom string because it's red, and unfortunately, I don't have the red fabric that I need. My friend that hosted the meet got the same fabric for the cape (in red), but I forgot to take the scraps on Saturday, so I can't do anything.

I also cut out the cardboard pieces for Yoko's communicator. I can't finish it because I don't have the vinyl to cover it. I would probably have it if JoAnn's carried it in orange. Dunno where I'm gonna get that now, I can't even find it online.

Finally yesterday, my boyfriend ordered the fabric for my jacket and the iron-on vinyl for all the details on things, because I'm really now on cash. After I sell some hats at Kin-Yoobi, I'm going to pay him back, but I really am ridiculously grateful. Now I just hope I have enough to cover the rest of the vinyl and the zippers that I need.

READ MORE - Shorts (Days 548 - 554)

Yoko Stuff (Days 543 - 547)

So, yeah, I got my Yoko wig, and I still love it. A friend of mine tried styling it, to almost no avail, but I'm gonna give it a shot with my favorite hang-it-upside-down-and-hairspray-it method.

I started on my shorts, altered the pattern (which took forever) and cut out all of the pieces. I also stay-stitched both layers to each-other, so that I can work with them without them sliding everywhere. I figured out that, with the stretch fabric needle, I don't need the special elastic string (much the the dismay of my wallet). It's fine though, considering I couldn't even thread the elastic string through the stretch needle because the string was too thick.

The fabric swatches that I ordered also came in, they were my choices for my jacket fabric. After careful deliberation, I chose one, now I just have to order it. I'll also be ordering four or five different kinds of iron-on vinyl for all of the details. Part of me is really looking forward to using it, the other part of me is terrified of accidentally melting my fabrics. I'll be doing test iron-ons on all of my fabrics.

I decided that I want to make Yoko's little orange communicator thing as a cell phone pouch. Shouldn't take much time/fabric/money, since it's small and simple, and I'll have a place to put my phone, since apparently the pant pattern that I got doesn't have pockets, and I can't be bothered to alter it any more than I already have. In the show, the communicator's mouth opens up to reveal a screen, but I'm not even getting that fancy with it, I may just even make a cover for a cell phone pouch that I already have (assuming my phone fits in it).

READ MORE - Yoko Stuff (Days 543 - 547)

Hinata-sou - Weekend with Japan

It was finally time for the big final of our spring. A twoday-weekend with most things you can do that relate to anime and manga.

Pictures of me in my lolita-outfits. And I don´t have any better. But I will take more of them.

READ MORE - Hinata-sou - Weekend with Japan

It's Here! (Day 542)

I woke up to my Yoko wig being delivered today! It's gorgeous, I love it. It's a little small (and heavy o.o), but bobby pins remedy that (except the weight, holy cow). I threw together a "closet Yoko" for teh lulz. The only things in this photo that are a part of the actual cosplay are the wig and the chopsticks. Also, this photo does not show the color well at all. It's a dark red-orange. I bought it from fashiongarden300 on eBay. I'll do a full write-up later.

EDIT: Here is a picture of the color of the wig and the chopsticks.
On a side-note, relating to the first picture, yes, as I'm sure I mentioned before, I do have my naval pierced. I have been keeping an eye out for flesh-colored or clear naval rings, as I can't take the ring out for more than an hour without it starting to heal over. However, if I can't find one, or if they're just ridiculously expensive ($20+ is ridiculous for a ring in my opinion), I'm just going to wear the smallest, least noticeable one that I own. If people have a problem with that, well, that's just too bad.

READ MORE - It's Here! (Day 542)

Trying... (Days 540 & 541)

I'd like to try to get back into daily blogging again, and it should be easier since I have my laptop back (it was busted for a while). Of course, my lack of blogging and my lack of cosplay accomplishments are directly related. When I don't blog, I don't realize how much I'm not doing, so I continue to do nothing, and when I do nothing, I have nothing to blog about, so I don't blog! It's a vicious cycle, really.

So. Yeah. I've done nothing. I'm still waiting on my Yoko wig and fabric swatches. Still haven't touched the fabric for the bikini/shorts, though I did look at the pant pattern that I picked up. It's pretty cool, it has three separate patterns for three different sizes of pant (petite, average, and curvy), which it probably why it cost about seven bucks. I can't decide if I want to modify the pattern at all. It's for high-waisted pants, while Yoko's shorts are actually low-rise, but the overall shape is the same, and I don't want to ruin that.

I also still haven't decided what to do with the bikini top really. Feh. Yeah. That's all!

READ MORE - Trying... (Days 540 & 541)

More Yoko Stuff (Days 534 - 539)

So I finally bought the fabric for my Yoko bikini, which I also decided that I'm going to try to use it for my shorts also. If it doesn't work, well, then I'll have some nice swimsuit shorts to swim in. I also bought a pattern for pants, which I'm just going to shorten for shorts. I bought a needle for stretch fabric and stretchy string (which I found out is just very, very thin elastic) too. I haven't actually worked on anything yet though.

After rigorous searching online, I came across Fabric.com, which, while having the least creative name I've ever heard, turned out to be quite useful. I browsed their faux leathers (mostly poly and vinyl blends) and found two colors that might work for Yoko's awkward-colored purple-brown jacket. Luckily, you can order fabric swatches from Fabric.com relatively cheap ($0.75 each + $1.50 shipping), so I ordered one swatch of each.

My Yoko wig was also just shipped, and I am eagerly awaiting it, I just hope that it's good quality. I'll write more about it (where I bought it, what price, etc.) after it arrives.

I also bought yellow chopsticks for Yoko's hair. I really like them a lot, despite them being a little more rounded-off than I had originally hoped for. However, they looked stained yellow, as opposed to painted, so you can still see the natural wood grain on them, and they don't look harsh or too bright.

So, I need to buy fabric for the jacket and boots and iron-on vinyl for the boots, bikini, and jacket. I also need to find a belt and buckle, which I would just make myself if I knew where to get loose square, metal studs. I also need to decide how I'm going to make the bikini, if I want to go for the underboob, sideboob, or cleavage. I think I can only get two out of the three. I'm actually thinking of going for the cleavage and sideboob, but I'm worried that that will make it look too much like a bra, plus I'll have to spend more money buying push-up pads. It's looking like the bikini will be the last thing that I make, haha. Or I might just end up with three of them.

READ MORE - More Yoko Stuff (Days 534 - 539)

102 Cosplay Questions (originally from Cosplay Kobo)

100 Questions About Your Cosplay Lifestyle and Manners



There are no right answers to any of these questions. Quite a few can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no", but there are at least three more ways to answer any one of them. Of course, every answer has its reason and every reason has a story. Our goal isn't to pass judgement, but to get you thinking about these questions. If this questionairre starts a dialogue on manners, then we've done our job.



General Cosplay Questions



1) What's the best part of cosplay for you?

The entire creation process, from choosing fabrics and materials to putting a finished garment on. (And of course the positive attention at cons is nice too.)



2) Do you use the term "kameko" ("camera-kid")?

Never heard of it before now, but nope, and I don't think I will either.



3) Do you read event catalogs?

Like the little booklets that come with your badge at most conventions? Not usually. I'll scan them for interesting events that I may not know about, or read about the special guests, but I'll only read the whole thing if I get bored at the con.



4) Do you rsvp to events?

When I am able to, yes.



5) Do you want to attend more events? Or are you content to remain in your local area?

I always want to attend more events, but I never have enough money.



6) Do you use color contacts?

Nope. Sometimes I want to, but it's a money and hygiene thing.



7) Do you make your own costumes or do you buy them?

I prefer to make them, but I have bought parts (t-shirts, jeans, etc.).



8) Do you stick to one genre?

Nope!



9) Do you think that when cosplaying, one should stick to the genre of a given event?

Nope.



10) Does it bother you when people break genre?

Not at all.



11) Does it bother you when people know nothing about the series they're cosplaying?

A little, but only because it sort of discourages conversation.

"Oh, you like this series?"

"No, I just like the outfit."

"Oh, well it is a [cute/cool/whatever] outfit!"

-nowhere left for the conversation to go-



12) Does it bother you if people only know a little about the series they're cosplaying?

Not particularly. I prefer that people at least read Wikipedia or watch an episode or too, but it doesn't bother me if they just started the series and decided that they liked a character right off the bat.



13) Does it bother you if people are familiar with the series, but have no affection for the character they're cosplaying?

Ehh, again, not particularly.



14) Does it bother you if someone else is cosplaying the same character you are?

Nope. If they look better than I do, then, yeah, I get jealous, but I"m generally good-natured, so, no, it doesn't outright bother me.



15) Do you like posed shots?

Yes.



16) Do you like candid shots?

Only if they're in-character.



17) Do you think cosplaying characters from adult games or pornographic material is in bad taste?

Only if the outfit itself is explicit and there are children/pedestrians around. Otherwise, as long as you're covered, I don'r care.



18) If there's a problem at an event, do you jump to conclusions about the parties involved?

Depends on the problem, but, yes, if people are causing problems, I do make assumptions.



19) How many times do you cosplay in one month?

One or two.



20) Do you go to photo shoots?

Occasionally.



21) Have you ever been included in a cosplay CD-ROM?

No.



22) Is casual cosplay okay?

Yup, as long as the cosplayer doesn't have a rotten elitist attitude.



23) Are you okay with your face appearing on the internet?

Sure.



24) Do you find yourself thinking people are "too old" for cosplay? How old is too old?

Some people are too old for cosplays of specific characters, but not cosplay in general. On a similar note, some people are too young for specific characters too.



25) Do people who walk around in gothic lolita fashion bug you?

Nope.



26) Do you think Chinese dresses count as "cosplay"?

Not unless it's a specific character, otherwise it's just fashion (and can still be worn at cons, in my opinion).



27) What bothers you the most about cosplay?

The elitists in the community and people who ruin other people's fun (in any way). Oh, and the expense.



28) Do you think it's important to be "in character"?

Only for photos. It's thrilling to see cosplayers in character, but it's difficult and sometimes awkward to pull off, so I never expect it.



29) Does it make you nervous to be eyed by regular visitors at a public event?

Not nervous so much as awkward, but as long as there's at least one other person around in cosplay, I'm alright.



30) Do pre-scheduled cosplay appearances by popular cosplayers annoy you?

I've never heard of this, but it doesn't seem like something I'd get annoyed at unless they were loud and obnoxious.



31) Do you tell other people your best locations for shoots?

I don't have any spectacular shoot locations, but if I did, I would definitely share them. I always tell the location (if I remember) of shoots that I have when I post the pictures.



32) Do you put on your makeup before your wig or after?

Before. In the fashion industry, makeup is put on before hair is styled so that the hair doesn't get messed up by the makeup or from having to be pinned back. But I do put on my wig cap before makeup, to keep my hair out of my face.



33) Do you know a lot about the series' you cosplay?

I make sure that I know the basics at least (a quick Wiki search usually gets me started), and I always read or watch at least some of it, but it doesn't always stick in my mind. So if you ask me "Remember when [such and such] happened in [such and such] an episode?" I might not always know what you're talking about, even if I watched it twice.



34) Do you wear costumes only once or many times?

I wear them until I get bored of them.



35) When you've decided what costume to do next, do you share that information with other people?

Yup. It's warranted me a lot of hate a couple of times, but after editing a few privacy settings on my facebook, I feel a lot more comfortable sharing.



36) Do you want to be in cosplay magazines?

It'd be nice.



37) What's the most important part of cosplay for you?

Same as my favorite part, of course, the creation. It doesn't bother me when people buy costumes though, as long as they have fun in them, but I feel like other people are missing out on the fun of creation sometimes.



*~*~*~*~*

Event Participation Questions



38) How active are you cosplaying in your own community?

I try to be very active, but this is a difficult question for me, since I don't really feel like I have a defined cosplay community. I'm just sort of everywhere in my area.



39) What do you wear on the day of an event?

Cosplay, of course.



40) Do you eat lunch on event days?

Yup.



41) Do you eat breakfast before attending events?

Definitely, otherwise I feel sick all day.



42) How long does it take you to change?

Depends on the costume, anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.



43) Do you think it looks geeky to attend an event with a big SLR camera?

This is a silly question. NO.



44) What camera do you use? A compact? An SLR?

Little point-and-click digital camera.



45) Are you afraid of cameramen? Are you cool with them?

Cameramen are fine as long as they don't get too personal.



46) Are you one of the first to line up to get inside?

Ahaha, no, I hate getting up early.



47) Do you not mind showing up late?

Not usually, no.



48) Do you have a small after party or a huge get-together?

Neither. I go home and sleep.



49) Do you like karaoke?

Nah, just not my thing.



50) Are you tolerant of bad singers?

Not really, no, haha. But I also don't attend karaoke events, so that solves that.



51) Do topics unrelated to animation and manga bug you? Or do you think it's okay to talk about anything at all?

Free speech, buddy, talk about whatever you want.



52) Do you eat lunch while inside event areas?

Sometimes.



53) Can you handle the cold?

Nope, I get frostbite.



54) Do you buy doujinshi at events?

Nope.



55) Do you make doujinshi to sell at events?

Nope.



56) Do you have a group that participates in group events?

I chill with the BAC, yeah =D And then I have my cosplay buddies for just hanging out in general or planning group things with.



57) Are you a member of a cosplay circle/club?

B.A.C. (Bay Area Cosplay)



58) When the event is over, how late do you stay out?

I usually go home right after.



59) If a new face approaches you at an event and takes up a few minutes of your time, are you annoyed?

Only if they're obnoxious is some way, otherwise I'm always glad to meet new people!



60) Do you go to cosplay dance parties?

Like at-con dances? Yeah.



>b?61) Do you think your Layer status is higher than others if a lot of people want to take your picture? Does it bother you not to have your photo taken as much as you think you deserve?

I have no idea what "Layer status" is, so... No?



62) Do you get jealous of other cosplayers having a lot of pictures taken of them?

Yes.



63) You're asked for a picture but have something else to do, do you refuse?

Only if I'm in a hurry or eating.



64) When you take pictures of people at events, do you give them all copies of the prints or data?

No, but usually just because I never see or hear from them again. If they asked, I'd give them to them.



*~*~*~*~*

Photo Shoot Questions



65) (at a studio or shoot) Do you give a copy of each photo to all of the participants in it?

I'm not the one with the camera at photoshoots, but assuming I was, I'd send digital copies to people that I could get in contact with.



66) How do you approach photo shoots? As a chance to gather with friends and goof off or as a meeting to take nice pictures?

Both.



67) Are you particular about how you look in the test shots before the shoot? Do you mind how you look in general?

Yes and yes. If there is going to be photographic evidence, yes I want to look good!



68) When you take photos, do you prefer shots from the front or odder angles?

Both.



69) Are you bothered by recieving lots of photos? Are you happy?

I love getting lots of photos. =)



70) When you take photos, do you photograph only people you know personally and like? Or do you look for other people with great costumes to photograph too?

I take pictures of costumes or characters that I like. Which doesn't always even include my friends, haha.



71) Do you wander around to meet people at events or do you keep to your own group?

A little of both.



72) How many photos do you usually take with your own camera?

Usually I forget my camera, but at the last event, I have maybe 100 pictures.



73) How many photos do you usually take for others?

None. I'm a selfish photographer.



74) Do you mind if people resize or crop the pictures you've taken to make them look better?

Nope.



75) Do you crop and resize pictures others have taken for you?

Rarely, but it has happened.



76) Have you ever set up a photo shoot by yourself?

With just me and a photographer? Yes.



77) Do you check shoot information beforehand?

If there is any.



78) Do you like it when there are a lot of people in the shoot area? Or do you prefer small events?

Both. It's nice to get pictures with a lot of people, but it's easier with just one person.



79) What size (how many people) is the best for a shoot?

I wouldn't really know, most shoots that I do are just me, but I'd assume maybe around 4 people.



80) What time of day do you like to take photos?

Afternoon. I'm not a morning person, and night shoots are difficult (or so I hear).



81) Do you prefer indoor or outdoor shots?

Outdoor, the lighting's better.



82) Which do you dislike more - hot weather or cold weather?

Cold weather. It's harder for me to hide when I'm cold.



83) Do you know any cameramen?

Indeed I do =)



84) Do you eat in the photo area?

Yes.



85) Do you like taking parts-shots? Or do you dislike them?

I don't know what parts-shots are. =/



86) Do you retouch your photos?

No, but usually the photographer(s) that I work with does(do).



87) Are you annoyed by people who don't retouch their photos?

Nope.



88) Do you use reflectors?

I've worked with photographers who use them before. They can be annoying because the light gets directly in your eyes, but if the photographer is cooperative and sensitive to your pain, they can produce amazing shots.



89) Which is worse ~ breaking the rules and getting great pictures, or following them and getting poor ones?

Breaking rules to get good pictures is worse. Usually rules are there to prevent people from getting hurt or to prevent things from getting damaged. There will always be more opportunities to get cool pictures, I wouldn't want to risk getting kicked out of somewhere for a photo.



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Friend Questions



90) Why are your friends your friends?

Because they're awesome people who share similar interests.



91) If you hang out for one day, do you consider yourselves friends?

Kinda, I guess. Depends on the situation. If we make plans to hang out, sure, we're friends, but if we hang out for a while at a con where we just met, then you're a potential friend.



92) Do you give copies of your photos to others?

Digital copies, sure.



93) Do you want to make more friends?

Well, duh.



94) Do you at least remember the names of people you meet at events?

I'm lucky if I remember people's first names.



95) Do you find yourself adjusting your behavior to that of the character you're cosplaying when dealing with people dressed as characters your character knows?

Only if they initiate it.



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Home Page/Websites



96) Do you recieve permission every time you post a photo of someone else online?

Not for facebook, but I try to if it's for my blog. If someone asked me to take a picture down, I would. I have plenty of others that I can use.



97) Do you get angry if a foreign site links to your page? Or are you flattered?

I prefer them to ask permission, mainly because I'd like to know what sites I'm supposedly affiliated with.



98) Are you happy to get mail from Layers overseas or does it scare you?

I don't know what "Layers" are! D=



99) Do you try to increase your web sites' contents/hits? Or doesn't it matter to you?

I try a little, but I'm afraid of becoming obnoxious. I mostly blog for myself, but getting readers is cool.



100) Do you not particularly care who links to you? Or do you ask people not to link without permission?

Already kind of answered this. I prefer people to ask permission.



101) Do you credit the location or studio when posting photo shoot images?

If I am capable, yes.



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Final Question



What do you think people who have "good cosplay manners" are like?

Do:

Ask permission for photos

Be aware of your personal surroundings



Don't:

Talk badly about other cosplayers (to their face or behind their backs)

Bother people who are eating or in a hurry

Block other people from taking pictures

Stalk people for pictures

Get a big head

READ MORE - 102 Cosplay Questions (originally from Cosplay Kobo)

Cosplay Twins (Survey)

The first five questions were taking from the Cosplay.com thread "Dealing with: "Hey, we're cosplaying the same character!"". I added the rest because I thought they'd be sort of interesting.

• The first time you ran into a "other you", what were you cosplaying?
femme!Edward Elric. Oh, man, that was an atrocious cosplay. The cosplayer that I ran into was a different (and better) variation, though.

• What went through your mind when you met this other "you"? Were you nervous? Brave? Jealous? Excited?
A little bit of everything, but mostly excited.

• Was it a good or bad experience? (How did it play out? Were they nice?"
I ran over and asked for a picture, he/she (I still don't know) had a mask, so I really don't know what their reaction was. I was really shy then, so they posed for a picture with me, I thanked them, and then we parted ways. For all I know, they could have thought I was insane and had a horrible cosplay and they didn't want anything to do with me, but they were at least polite.

• How would you recommend, for people who are not used to / have not experienced this run-in, to go about talking to their same-character counterpart?
Personally, I like to take a picture with them, regardless of the accuracy/execution of the cosplay, and talk to them about how they made certain parts of their costume. I always try to find at least one part of their costume that I really like and compliment them on it. If they're friendly and have free time, they'll stay and chat, if they don't want to talk to me, they politely excuse themselves and leave.

• Any bad experiences you'd like to share and some advice on how to deal with them?
I can't recall any bad experiences, but my best advice would be to put it out of your mind and find someone else fun to talk to.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
• Describe your favorite same-character run-in.
At Fanime 2010, I was cosplaying Chi to the CLAMP gathering and arrived a bit early. I ran into another Chi cosplayer who was wearing a dress very similar to mine in almost inverted colors. We were almost the same height and got asked for a lot of pictures. We chatted for what felt like a long time (I can't even remember all of what we talked about), and she gave me a badge ribbon* (which I didn't even know existed before then) with Chi on it. We were eventually pulled aside by a photographer for a photoshoot. Then the actual gathering happened, where we met more Chi's. After the gathering, four of us Chi's continued with the photoshoot and then parted ways.

• What would you like to happen next time you meet a cosplay twin?
Pretty much a repeat of Fanime 2010. I really enjoyed doing a photoshoot with a twin character, and chatting was a lot of fun. Of course, I know that not all characters have twin characters the way that Chi does, so sometimes twin shoots aren't very easy, but I do enjoy "mirror" shots.

• What do you think is the worst thing that could happen when meeting a cosplay twin?
I think the worst thing would be if I complimented them on a part of their costume, and they began blatantly (or even subtly) insulting my costume. Rude stares or sneers can usually be brushed off pretty easily, but words tend to stick with me for a while.

• Do you enjoy finding "twins" at conventions?
I don't think I used to, but I definitely do now! I used to be really shy and I'd get embarrassed and judgmental about people wearing the same cosplay as me. Now I just see it as another photo-op and a chance to make a new friend!

• What character that you've cosplayed or are planning to cosplay would you like to meet a twin of?
(Even though I made up this question, it was hard!) I'm going to have to go with Koffing (gijinka), because then we could evolve and take pictures as a Wheezing!

• Would you ever plan a twin cosplay with someone? If so, what?
I honestly can't think of anything, really. I'm not opposed to friends cosplaying the same thing as me, I just can't think of a cosplay that I would plan to be the same character as someone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Feel free to repost and answer and all of that fun stuff. I'd be cool if I was credited, but these are pretty generic questions, so I won't be insulted if I'm not credited.

READ MORE - Cosplay Twins (Survey)

No Progress (Days 526 - 533)

So I have been doing nothing to forward my progress (or lack thereof) on my Yoko cosplay, except for staring at the eBay search results for "Yoko Wig" on and off for what's probably a total of 3 hours. I really cannot choose one, I've heard equal amounts of good and bad reviews about all of the sellers that I'm considering buying from. Basically, I have to decide if it's worth the risk on the cheapest one, wasting less money if I don't like it, or if paying more increases the chances of me liking the wig. I'm also looking into which sellers offer returns and such. Oh, if only the girl selling hers on Cosplay.com would respond to my messages and upload an accurate photo!

So that's where I'm at. I still need to do everything else that I talked about in my last post. Oh, well, I looked at bra pads at JoAnn's and decided that I would get one that fits me and make the bikini to fit over it. I'm sacrificing the accuracy of underboob (and some side-boob) for the comfort of support, cleavage, and coverage. People obsessed with accuracy (including a tiny bit of myself) might hate me for it, but I'm thinking it's a fair trade. I can't convince myself that underboob is a good look anyway, even if it is cannon.

READ MORE - No Progress (Days 526 - 533)

New Cosplay Plans & Material Research (Days 514 - 525)

So! A little while back, I was asked to join a Tengan Toppa Gurren Lagann cosplay group for Kin-Yoobi Con's cosplay contest, and even though I can't compete (because I staff and emcee the contest), I decided to join the group, agreeing that, even if I couldn't wear it, I would finish the cosplay by Kin-Yoobi. In the past, I have been asked to cosplay Yoko, but I never had a real reason too, having never seen Gurren Lagann and not even having a group, so now that I was with a group, I decided to cosplay her. Originally, I had planned to cosplay her first, most recognizable outfit, because, well, it was the most recognizable, but after doing a little more research, I decided to cosplay what I have come to know as "Bounty Hunter Yoko" (shown above). I chose this outfit because it looks extremely similar to her original outfit, but is more covered-up, so that hopefully I won't run into issues with convention staff. If I do run into issues with staff, I have a backup plan (in Ep. 5, she wears a robe that completely covers her body, and I find it amusing).

I began researching materials and reference pictures as soon as I had chosen an outfit, as well as started actually watching TTGL. I haven't watched a new anime in a long time (since Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt finished), and of course I find myself completely in love with the series. Now, I'm not sure if this was because I was already slated to cosplay her, but I also find myself completely in love with Yoko. The moment she sat on Kamina's head for saying she had a big butt, I knew I loved her. I might not love her so much if I wasn't going to already cosplayer her, but I'd like to think that things just worked out really well in that regard, and that I would have loved her and cosplayed her anyway.

My first worry about the costume was the materials. With a ridiculously wide variety of materials to choose from, I've seen Yoko cosplayers use everything imaginable, and sometimes, http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifwell, it just doesn't work out. The bikini top is an easy one, bikini fabric. I was fortunate enough to find that JoAnn's sells dance/swim knit fabric. Originally, I was going to buy a bikini top and alter it, but you'd be surprised how hard it is to find a plain, black bikini in the right style. I was also surprised to see how easy it seems to be to make your own bikini. The tutorials on YouTube seem so simple, however, they all forget to put any kind of padding in, and a majority of them, they use t-shirts as material.

Wet t-shirt contest anyone?
In the defense of the video creators, their intent may have been to make bikinis for tanning/showing-off purposes only, but I have yet to come across a video that either says this or puts pads in. Regardless of that, though, most of the tutorials that I have seen are very good and easy to follow.

The next material issue that I had to tackle was the flames on the bikini. Originally, I thought I'd use bikini fabric and hand-sew it on, but then I didn't like the thought of all those stitches and the edges of the fabric showing, so I started researching more about applique materials and techniques. I frequently use Heat 'n' Bond for adding details, mostly ribbon detailing on projects such as Franziska, but the http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifkind I use gets very stiff when it's dry, so I wanted to see if there were more options. I was browsing the "bonding & stabilizers" category of JoAnn.com, when I came across iron-on vinyl, which led me to do a Google search which took me here then led me on a fantastical journey of knowledge.

Eventually, I ended up on Specialty-Graphics.com reading about Siser EasyWeed Stretch Vinyl, a thin, soft transfer material commonly used on sports uniforms. It can be applied to "Cotton, Polyester, Poly/Cotton Blends, Spandex, and Lycra", and seems generally easy to work with. At the moment, this is looking like my best option, but it just sounds too good to be true. Also, according to JoAnn.com, the dance/swim fabric isn't supposed to be ironed. So I'm eyeballing this, but also looking for other possibilities.

Another important part of the costume, for me at least, it the shorts. I intend to cosplay several versions of Yoko, and it seems like a lot of them use the same shorts, so I want them to look good. I've never been impressed with any Yoko shorts that I've ever seen. Granted, I have not seen many Yoko shorts, so maybe I just have to look harder. I've seen Yoko's shorts made out of vinyl or pleather, and I can see exactly why cosplayers would choose that material based on the artwork, but I just flat-out do not want to work with or wear pleather or vinyl. Ideally, I'd like leather shorts, but not only are they hard to find and expensive, I'm actually generally opposed to leather, and I'm not sure how ready I am to push my morals on this.

On an outing to JoAnn's, I browsed the fabric looking mainly for what fabric to use, not eliminating any possibilities until I had fully checked them out. Even though I know how taboo is is for cosplayers to use it, I was drawn toward the satin, and even though I knew I didn't want to use it, I will admit to looking at it. Located right next to it was a satin blend, which caught my attention and is shown left. I know it's hard to tell, but the top half of the image is the "right/correct" side of the fabric, and the bottom part of the picture is the "wrong" side of the fabric. Believe it or not, heh, the "wrong" side of the fabric is less shiny, but that picture was taken under JoAnn's bright fluorescent lights (no flash). At the moment, this is the fabric this is the fabric I'm considering. However, since I keep feeling like I have to defend it (it's not that shiny, it's bad lighting, it's darker in person), I'm still looking for something better. So we'll see.

I'm not even going to get into the jacket and boots right now, since I'm completely lost as to what material to make the jacket out of (I'm not even 100% sure what color it is), and the boots are seriously a whole post on their own. I have some vague ideas for the boots, but nothing concrete, so I'll just hold off on posting about them until I get more ideas.

READ MORE - New Cosplay Plans & Material Research (Days 514 - 525)

Galvantula (Days 504 - 513)

So I quicly (in less than a week) made a Galvantula cosplay. It was intended to be worn to the BAC gathering at the SF Zoo today (June 11th), but unfortunately, after staying up until 5am last night finishing the costume, I got sick this morning and couldn't go. So when I felt better later in the day, my boyfriend came over and took some pictures for me.

The picture to the right was my jumping-off point. I had been trying to decide whether to cosplay Galvantula or Joltik, since Joltik is my favorite Pokemon ever. I finally decided on Galvantula mainly because the design is more fun to work with (more colors and such).

The main thing that I used from the reference picture was the hair, it represents the extra eyes and the mandibles. Unfortunately, I didn't have access to yellow fur, so I ended up using fleece. Now I'm pretty much out of yellow fleece.

I already owned both shirts that I used, the yellow one is one I bought for Pikachu some time ago. I also already owned the wig, which was also originally for Pikachu. I bought the shorts from Target, I've been wanting yellow shorts for Pikachu anyway.

I made the blue hair pins by covering buttons and sewing them onto bobby pins. The hair wraps are honestly just scrap fabric left over from the rest of the blue pieces that I made. I made the suspenders, they were really simple, I bought the clips for them at JoAnns, they're actually intended to be one piece that you clip onto the back of your shirt to make it fit better (tighter), but I cut the elastic strip connecting them in half and sewed it onto the front of each suspender. On the back, I made a buttonhole (I hate buttonholes with a passion) that fit the buttons on the back pockets.

The arm warmers and leg warmers are fleece, the arm warmers are two pieces of fleece back-to-back, but that just made them kind of awkward (the first one I made was really bad), so for the leg warmers, they're only one piece. All of them have two pieces of elastic each, one near the bottom (wrists/ankles) and one near the top (calves/elbows) to hold them on and help them keep the shape of my arm.

The blue parts on the bottom of the shorts (supposed to look like Galvantula's tail) are separate from the shorts (so that I can re-use the shorts for Pikachu), they're held on with elastic (though one of them is a little loose for some reason). They're a pain in the butt to try and keep up, so I need to either make them tighter or figure something else out for them.

This was my first time ever making boot covers. Originally, I wanted to make them pointy, but then I changed my mind, and they came out pointy anyway. The good news is that I know why, so next time that I make boot covers, I'll know what to do. The combination of the boot covers and the leg warmers reminds me of Skull Kid from Legend of Zelda.

I would prefer to have blue tights, but the only ones that I own are blue on the front and black on the back, and it makes it nearly impossible to see the blue bits at the bottom of the shorts. Yellow tights would be cool too, but the ones I own now have holes in them. So I'll need to get new ones before the next time that I cosplay Pikachu, which, you know, sucks, because it's so hard to find yellow tights. Maybe I'll just order some from somewhere.

READ MORE - Galvantula (Days 504 - 513)